Match Preview: Spurs v Aston Villa (hopefully another home win for Mason)
Venue: the Tottenham Stadium at 6pm on Wednesday
[In a previous article I made comments about Harry Kane leaving; you can read it by clicking “here”]
With any luck, I should be there. Initially, I didn’t get a ticket in the ballet, however, a friend contacted me and said he could not go and will try to transfer the ticket to my name. I should know today (Tuesday) if he has been successful.
With two games left, we now face Aston Villa, who has had an up and down season, as we have, but at least we did better than them. We are in 6th place, while they are sitting in 11th. There is 10 points difference. But that won’t stop them from trying to beat us.
Team news.
Spurs
Serge Aurier joins Ben Davies on the sidelines after sustaining a groin injury that ruled him out of Sunday’s 2-0 win over Wolves.
Japhet Tanganga was given the nod ahead of Matt Doherty at right-back, and after a solid display, should keep his spot.
Ryan Mason will probably name an unchanged side for Wednesday’s game against Aston Villa.
Aston Villa
Matty Cash has a hamstring problem, which should see Ahmed El-Mohamady start at right-back. Trezeguet also misses out, while Morgan Sanson will be assessed, but Dean Smith has confirmed that Tyrone Mings will return to the side on Wednesday, which should see Kortney Hause drop out of the side.
Jack Grealish will return from injury, having appeared from the bench against Everton and Crystal Palace.
Our previous home game against Villa
On the 10 August 2019, we beat them 3-1 at the Tottenham Stadium.
Despite the score, this was far from a direct victory for us. We were sluggish for long periods and were heading for defeat before turning the game on its head after substitute Christian Eriksen injected some much-needed inspiration into the team. We had strengthened significantly that summer in an attempt to improve on the previous season’s fourth-place finish.
But we started similarly to our lacklustre form at the end of the 2018-19 season, when we won just one of our last five domestic games. Mauricio Pochettino missed several vital players because of injury and fitness, including Dele Alli and new additions Ryan Sessegnon and Giovani lo Celso.
Our team lacked invention and sharpness before the new club record £53.8m signing Tanguy Ndombele cancelled out John McGinn’s opener after Villa failed to clear their lines following Tom Heaton’s save to keep out Davinson Sanchez. Suddenly, we had confidence and drive and Kane, who had never scored in August until last season, made sure of the points with a quick-fire double in the final four minutes. He made it 2-1 after Jack Grealish, a Spurs transfer target 12 months ago, lost possession and then wrapped it up with a clinical finish.
But we weren’t at our best, but we won. Of course, Pochettino never lasted the season and was quickly replaced by Mourinho, who also never endured beyond the following season. Levy at his finest.
The game this season against Aston Villa at Villa Park
We responded to our crap-shock Europa League exit and Arsewipe defeat with a hard-fought victory over Villa that, then, kept us in the hunt for a top-four place.
Hugo Lloris labelled the team a “disgrace” after our 3-0 defeat by Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday that saw us throw away a 2-0 aggregate advantage and left our hopes of qualification for next season’s Champions League stuck on our league placing.
Vinicius got his first league goal
Carlos Vinicius’ opener and Harry Kane’s second-half spot-kick ensured we made the necessary winning response to climb to sixth in the standings, three points behind the Russians in fourth. An interchange of clever passes between Lucas Moura and Kane following a poor clearance by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez allowed Vinicius to put us ahead from close range after 30 minutes. Kane got the second from the penalty spot, sending Martinez the wrong way after being fouled by Matty Cash.
With no Jack Grealish, Villa failed to register a shot until Trezeguet’s blocked attempt after 58 minutes. However, after the interval, Anwar el Ghazi’s powerful drive into the side-netting was as close as they came.
So that is the previous two games against Villa. But that won’t count for anything on Wednesday night. At least there will be 10,000 of our supporters cheering our team on…, and if the team should falter, they will get the opposite reaction.
My thoughts and prediction
To be honest, I haven’t really had a clue on how things will end. Usually, I am an optimist person, but even that optimism has faltered over the last couple of months. The only positive thing I can say is that Mason hasn’t lost a home match since being appointed caretaker manager. Therefore I shall go for a 3-1 win, and let us hope that this is a memorable game to take away with us.
Prediction 3-1
As for the team lineup… I think Mason will stick with the same team.
Head to head
We have the upper hand in this fixture with 66 wins from 147 previous matches. Villa have been victorious 49 times while both teams have battled to 32 draws.
We have won the last six meetings, including a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture at Villa Park with Harry Kane scoring the second goal.
MATCH FACTS
We are looking to complete our seventh Premier League double over Aston Villa.
Aston Villa have lost 12 of their last 13 meetings in all competitions, winning the other in April 2015 under Tim Sherwood.
We have won our final home league game in 10 of the last 12 seasons, with the exceptions being a 1-2 loss to Southampton in 2015-16 and a 2-2 draw with Everton in 2018-19.
Aston Villa have won their final away league game in just one of the last 18 seasons (D7 L10), beating Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates in 2010-11.
We have won 11 of our last 12 league home games played on Wednesdays (D1) since a 0-1 defeat against Leicester City in January 2016.
Aston Villa have lost all five of their games played on Wednesdays this season – the most games a team has played on a specific day of the week within a single season and lost them all is six (Tottenham on Sundays in 1996-97).
Harry Kane has scored seven goals in his last six Premier League appearances against Aston Villa, finding the net in each of his last four against them.
Dean Smith has lost his three Premier League matches against us – he’s only lost his first four league encounters against two sides in his managerial career (Man City and Blackburn).
Harry Kane will make his 400th appearance in club football in all competitions – 334 of his 399 so far have come for us, with the others coming during loan spells at Leyton Orient (18), Millwall (27), Norwich City (5) and Leicester City (15). His 236 goals since his debut in January 2011 are bettered only by Sergio Agüero (258).
John McGinn scored his sixth Premier League goal in their 3-2 defeat at Crystal Palace last time out – the Scotsman has scored the opening goal in four League games, and Villa have gone on to lose all four. Only former Bolton striker Ivan Klasnic has scored the opening goal in more Premier League games without winning than McGinn (drawing all five).
Well, that’s it, folks. At least when I report this match, I would have seen it in person.
Be safe, and until next time, Glenn
COYS!
My name is Glenn Renshaw.
I am currently a Premium Season Ticket holder (West Stand) in the new stadium. Before that – at White Hart Lane – a season ticket holder in various parts of the ground (mainly in the North stand).
Before becoming a season ticket holder, I stood on the shelf and various other parts of the ground since the 1950s. In 1987 I became one of the first to hold a Spurs Membership card. I was also a life long member of the Spurs supporters club (now defunct).
I go to all home, away and abroad matches.
I was born in 1955, Edgware, London (it was in the late 50s – as a baby – that my dad took me to Spurs to initiate me). I currently live in Berkshire.
I also collect all Spurs books (and have everyone printed), Spurs handbooks (from 1920s onwards, Spurs programmes (since the 40s).
Previously, I wrote for Spurs Fanzines: The Spur, Spur of the Moment, My Eyes have seen the Glory and various other Spurs fanzines’. I also wrote for the SpursWeb app & its website.
I currently write and work for spursnetwork.com and its website. I write its Reviews & Match reports and a lot more.
My other interests are; reading, history, social history, Politics, going to the gym, wine, going out for a meal, music (all sorts), writing, theatre, concerts, holidays, socialising etc.
I have been writing blogs/ articles since 1989
If you wish to read more of my blog, please click “here”